It can be common in an orthodontic practice where doctors and teams keep an eye out for mistakes. We want to make sure our patients do the right thing, that our team members do not have mishaps, and we certainly don’t want to commit mistakes ourselves. The challenge with this approach is that no one is perfect, and when we focus on the errors around us, we don’t notice all the things that are going right. Catching people doing the right things can help build team morale and nurture a productive team environment. As a result, it can also help motivate patients.
When we focus and reinforce the right behavior, interestingly enough, we get more of it. It is difficult to avoid critiquing others’ work, and orthodontists concentrate on diagnosing and resolving issues. We are masters of the problem list. Therefore, a doctor’s great challenge in a leadership role is to refocus from finding fault to habitual acknowledgment.
Acknowledge and reward good behavior
Although we want to avoid mistakes and learn from them, our team makes a concerted effort to find people doing the right things. We can take a positive spin in our perspective by acknowledging wins for the day. In other words, rewind the day and refocus on all the great things that happened. What did we do right that we want to do over and over again? Instead of focusing on problem patients who can ruin your day, how about noting those wonderful families and patients who are fans. Repeat those compliments out loud to drown any inevitable complaints.
Try to also encourage the team member who continues to step up for the rest of the team—highlight good behavior. We like to acknowledge our MVP’s in our practice. A habit that shifts the team’s focus from finding fault to praising doing something right. We encourage and reward catching people doing the right things. Publicly praise the behavior you want to see, and privately coach on an action that needs to change.
